GALAXY XIII/HORIZONS-1

Payload

From its equatorial launch site at 154 degrees West Longitude, the Sea Launch rocket lifted the Galaxy XIII/Horizons-1 satellite to a lofted perigee geosynchronous transfer orbit (GTO) on the way to its final orbital position at 127 degrees West Longitude. The spacecraft carries a total of 48 active transponders, 24 in Ku-band and 24 in C-band. While it is designed for a 15-year lifespan, Sea Launch's direct insertion into equatorial orbit is expected to yield several additional years of service.

Built by Boeing Satellite Systems in El Segundo, Calif., the Boeing 601HP spacecraft is designed to offer a variety of digital video, Internet and data services to North America, Central America, Alaska and Hawaii. Horizons-1 is jointly owned by PanAmSat and JSAT, and supports their Horizons venture, providing expanded Ku-band services in North America and extended services to Japan and Asia via a Hawaii-based relay station. The C-band payload, Galaxy XIII, which is operated independently by PanAmSat, offers the first high-definition neighborhood in the U.S. cable arc.

JSAT Corporation is a leading satellite operator in the Asia-Pacific region. Based in Tokyo, the company owns and operates eight satellites in seven orbital slots. JSAT provides communications and broadcasting services that offer a range of unique features made possible by satellite communications which is well suited to support the high-volume, wide-distribution, high-speed networks.